Public consultations on the state highway improvement programme, and how fair and effective representation around the Otago Regional Council table is are two topics being put to Otago residents in a survey by the ORC, while developing an initial proposal for wider consultation.

Council chair Gretchen Robertson said the survey was the first step in a representation review which councils were required to do every six years under the Local Electoral Act.

Population, communities of interest, the number of wards and ward boundaries as well as the number and distribution of elected members will all be considered before any potential changes are contemplated as part of an initial proposal to be decided on by council by mid-2024.

“The review will look at changes to population and any flow on impact on representation. This review will need to look at areas like the wider Dunstan area (Queenstown, Wanaka and Central Otago), where population growth means current representation may not be enough to meet legal requirements.”

The representation review cannot change the people who are currently elected, but it may increase the number of councillors. Fourteen is the maximum number of councillors a regional council can have.

The last representation review for Otago Regional Council was completed in 2018.

No changes were made to the existing constituencies or number of councillors.

The online survey is here https://www.orc.govt.nz/represent2024

The Otago Regional Council is made up of 12 Councillors, elected from four constituencies:

• Dunstan           3
• Moeraki            1
• Molyneux          2
• Dunedin            6

A mid-term review of the Otago Southland Regional Land Transport Plans 2021 - 2031 is also underway, and the public are being asked to comment on the proposed changes.

Otago and Southland are collectively seeking a total $1.8 billion in funding from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Authority’s State Highway improvement programme.

The Otago and Southland Regional Transport Committees (RTCs) are updating the strategy and 2024-2027 programme of activities within the plans.

The plans include maintenance and renewals projects for both regions. 

Projects where funding of over $2m is being sought are prioritised to indicate their importance to the combined regions.

Major public transport investments have been included in Queenstown and Dunedin to support mode shift and environmental sustainability.

Consultation closes on March 15. 

Copies of the consultation documents can be downloaded from the Otago Regional Council and Environment Southland websites.